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Deep sea voyages, space adventures, and magical creatures all play a part in these critically-acclaimed flicks.

Photos: Everett Collection ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

World of TomorrowRotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
This beautiful animated short film follows a young girl as she is swept away on a tour of her future when she encounters a clone of herself. While the animation style may be simple, the film is anything but. This existential short will leave you thinking long after its seventeen-minute runtime has concluded.
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Netflix

MetropolisRotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
The story of a futuristic city and the massive class division between the working class and the city planners is told in a sprawling two-and-a-half hours. The stunning visual effects make it hard to believe the film was released in 1927, and its still-relevant message is one we could all learn something from.
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Everett Collection

E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialRotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Steven Spielberg's classic family film tells the tale of a troubled boy enduring his parents' divorce who befriends a stranded alien and resolves to help him return to his home planet. A perfect balance of whimsical and serious, this touching film will awaken every nostalgic bone in your body. There's a reason it's a classic.
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Everett Collection

The Iron GiantRotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Set during The Cold War, this animated adventure follows a young boy who befriends a giant, kind-hearted robot from outer space that the hyper-paranoid government is determined to destroy. Heartwarming, sad, and thrilling, this gorgeous film will touch you in unexpected ways.
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Photo: Everett Collection

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
This 1951 genre classic follows an alien named Klaatu and his robot as they arrive to the Cold War-plagued Earth and try to send its inhabitants an important message: live peacefully and stop the use of atomic bombs, or be destroyed. Chaos ensues when a nervous soldier shoots Klaatu, however, and he ends up imprisoned in a hospital room. This relevant portrait of humanity is necessary viewing.
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Everett Collection

The HostRotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
A snack bar owner whose daughter is suddenly snatched from him by a death-bringing monster that has emerged from the Han River is the focus of this masterful monster film from South Korea. While the family initially mourns and agonizes over the loss, when they discover she is still alive, they resolve to do whatever they can to take on the monster and save her. Armed with genuine jump-out-of-your-seat moments, this is an outstanding entry into the monster movie genre.
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Men in BlackRotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
This hilarious modern classic brings unlikely duo Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones together for an intergalactic kegger of an adventure, one that sees them protect the world as we know it from extraterrestrial forces at work. Filled with iconic one-liners and lovable characters, this 20-year-old sci-fi comedy packs a punch with every viewing.
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Doctor StrangeRotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Dr. Stephen Strange in this gorgeous adaptation of the beloved Marvel comic. After a car accident, Strange is forced to set aside his ego and dive into a world of alternate dimensions and mystic arts. To protect New York City and the rest of the worlds from threats across dimensions, he must utilize his newfound abilities and learn lessons about his power along the way. This gorgeous, thrilling flick is bound to appeal to comic lovers and the general public alike.
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Turbo KidRotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Don't let the goofy title fool you - this is quite the flick. Set in a 1997 post-apocalyptic wasteland, the film follows a young, comic book-loving scavenger who becomes a reluctant hero to save his friend and beat the bad guy. Lovers of B-movies and cheesy 80 action flicks need look no further than this funny, exciting film.
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Everett Collection

Donnie DarkoRotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, and more, this sci-fi thriller takes place over the course of 28 days and follows a troubled teenager who, after a bizarre (near-fatal) accident, begins to have visions of a man in a giant rabbit suit who urges him to commit a slew of crimes. Strangely funny, scary, and totally compelling, this cult classic is necessary viewing.
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Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryRotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
This Star Wars spin-off takes the franchise in an uncharted, darker direction, and it does it in an extraordinary manner. Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, and an all-star ensemble cast, the film acts as a prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope and follows the team of rebels who embark on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star and save the universe as they know it. Well-acted, stunningly shot, and frankly thrilling, this flick will please Star Wars fans and new audiences alike.
[Stream Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]

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GremlinsRotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Set against a Christmastime backdrop, this classic horror comedy kicks off when a man brings his teen son an unusual pet called a mogwai. Though he's been warned not to expose the mogwai to water and light and not to feet it after midnight, the rules are broken, and complete chaos ensues. Unexpectedly violent and bizarrely hilarious, there's a reason Gremlins remains a favorite after all these years.
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TrollhunterRotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Everything is not as it seems in this fast-paced, sci-fi/horror flick; a group of students initially sets out to investigate a series of strange bear killings, but soon encounter a mysterious hunter who tells them he spends his days tracking and hunting trolls. Full of fascinating folklore, comedy, thrills, and chills, this unique Norwegian film might just become your new fave.
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AdvantageousRotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Set in the near future where older women are deemed more and more unnecessary, a mother realizes she may lose her job as a biomedical firm's spokesperson in favor of a younger candidate. Desperate to provide for her daughter, she agrees to undergo a procedure to transfer her consciousness to the body of a younger woman.
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These Final HoursRotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
On the last day of earth's existence, a self-obsessed man named James makes his way across a city plagued by chaos to attend the party to end all parties. On his way, however, he encounters a little girl desperate to find her father, and unexpectedly discovers what really matters as earth's final minutes tick away.
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Everett Collection

SpectralRotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
This Netflix Original follows an engineer as he teams up with an elite Special Ops force to stop a supernatural forces tearing through a war-ravaged European city. This high-stakes, action-driven flick evokes the feeling of genre classics and provides a series of new thrills for the streaming audience era.
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The PrestigeRotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Christopher Nolan's magic-driven movie features an all-star cast including the likes of Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Scarlett Johansson, and follows two rival stage magicians in 19th century London as they desperately attempt to expose each others' tricks. A series of terrifying and mind-boggling events ensue as the two become totally consumed by their rivalry.
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Everett Collection

Voyage to the Bottom of the SeaRotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
After the Earth is put in jeopardy by a burning Van Allen Radiation Belt, a US Navy Admiral named Harriman Nelson decides to use his experimental atomic submarine to shoot a nuclear missile at the Belt. A dangerous race against the clock, this classic doesn't hold back with the camp - and it's delightful as hell.
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MonstersRotten Tomatoes Score: 72%
Helmed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards, this thrilling film brings us to earth six years post-alien invasion as a reluctant journalist agrees to help take a shell-shocked American tourist to the safe U.S. border - but they must venture through an infected area of Mexico to get there. This mysterious, slow-burn drama is subtle and powerful in its messaging.
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